THE POULTRY YARD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 751, 23 July 1886, Page 15

THE POULTRY YARD.

In its summary of the poultry trade during 1885, the Agricultural Gazette says : Several breeds, bith of poultry and pigeons, have shown a decided step forward. In the former, Game, Spanish, Plymonth Rocks, Minorcas, and Bmtams have been the most noteworthy, and the new breed, Wyandottes, have justified our prognostications of last year by jumping at once into a large measure of popularity. Came ought now to be placed foremost in our shows as the most popular of all breeds, and the quality has made as great an advance as the numbers. Such a show as at Birmingham this year was, we suppose, never witnessed before, and that at the Palace was a first-class one. At the former show Mr C. W. Brierley won the Brovm-Red Cockerel Challenge Cup for the third time, ond it now becomes his property. Spanish have made a great step forward both in numbers and quality, and it would appear as if the anti-trimmers are beaten once more—a matter greatly to be regretted for the welfare of the fancy. Bantams are growing in favor by Teaps and bounds, especially the Bantams not Game, of which there have been several new varieties this year, chiefly the production of Mr Entwisle. Plymouth, Rocks, snd Minorcas are growing very rapidly in favor, and what are known as the minor breeds are better this year than wo have seen them for some time. On the other hand, Brahmas, JDorkmgs, French, Hatnburghs, and some varieties of ducks have scarcely maintained their place’, and in Brahmas sspecially there has been a decided falling off. POULTRY IN FRANCE. A Mr Leseigneur writing to the Agricultural Gazette gives the following interesting statistics : , It may interest you and your readers to know the number of fowls kept in France and their value; also the number and value of the eggs they bring forth yearly. Last winters stock, according to census, or returns, was 43,858.780 fowls of a value of say 2s 6d each—£5.482,374 10s. Each year, a fifth of the stock is sold for the table, at an average price of 3s each : £1,350,000. There remains, then, about 35 millions of fowls, who reproduce 101 million birds. Of that number, close upon 80 millions are sold at Is 6d each ; that is, say, £6,000,000. Each year, 21 millions are accounted for as follows: part in misfortunes in rearing, and part in replacing old birds in the poultry-yards. Estimating 100 eggs per fowl each year of the 35 millions above, and allowing 10 million eggs for hatching, we are left with a yearly produce of nearly three thousand and a half million eggs, of a value of about nine millions 8t The g above figures show that the 43.858 780 fowls first named, by their reproduction, B ln birds, a revenue of - . Their eggs „ » * •

Or a grand tatal of, per year £16,120,000 I hav« translated the above from the Poussin. a French weekly devoted to poultry, which bases its figures, as before stated, on last winter’s censue.—L. LesbIGNEUR, 5, Cerise Road, Peckham, London, B.E.